And I Will Always Hate You
by zxanthe
Summary: "Broooo," Star leers, and his teeth glitter too brightly under the lights. "You got a date to the prom yet?"


_"Broooo," _Star leers, and his teeth glitter too brightly under the lights, "you got a date to the prom yet?"

Jealousy, irrational and sudden, starts buzzing in a high-pitched whine by his ear before he squashes it flat with a snort. "Spend a fuckload of money to get trapped in some hotel ballroom with a bunch of people I hate for three hours? C'mon, dude, there are way better ways to spend your time."

"Okay, but, consider: Tsubaki Nakatsukasa." He shoots a grin and a wink over Soul's shoulder. The girl in question smiles and waves back sheepishly. She's standing a ways down the hall with Liz Thompson and – oh God. Soul's heart skips a beat. He swivels his head back frontways, cool as can be.

"She actually said yes?"

"Of course! It's not like I thought she wouldn't or anything, I mean have you _seen_ these guns?"

Throbbing, gently glistening muscles are thrust under his nose. "Should make you a sandwich with all that jelly you got there," Star says with a smirk.

Soul makes a show of rolling his eyes and shoves him away. "Bro, c'mon."

"No bro, _you _c'mon. It's our senior year. Think of all the people we can make fun of!"

"Like we don't do that every day."

"But they'll be thinking they're even hotter shit than they're usually not so it'll be twice as funny."

"Still no."

"Brah. Whatever, let's hit the gym. Not much time left to fit in those gains, ya dig?"

"Unbelievable," Soul grumbles. He grabs his bag and slams his locker shut.

Across the hall, Maka grabs her bag and slams her locker shut. "Who, Evans?"

"Yeah!" says Liz, smacking her gum. "Tsu's already going with Blockhead over there, might as well go along for moral support. 'Sides, didn't you two used to be like BFFs up till like middle school?"

She very determinedly doesn't look back. She can feel her ears heating up. "Okay, one, that was a long time ago and we don't really talk anymore because he turned into a jerk, and two, Tsu, _really?!" _

"Black Star has such nice deltoids, Maka," Tsubaki says mournfully. "They're _sculpted. _And he's actually not all that bad, once you get to know him."

"You're too nice for your own good."

"Maybe so. But you know, he's kind of charming, in his own special way."

"Oh my God."

Liz cackles. "Look, I'd ask Evans myself cause mmm, grunge rocker boy with a sexy-ass glare? I'd be all over that, baby, but Kid already asked me, so my hands are kinda tied."

Maka huffs. Her ears must be totally red by now, ugh, she really hopes Liz isn't in an observant mood. It's not like she expressly needs a date to go to the prom; going stag is very much a thing. Having one wouldn't necessarily make the undoubtedly agonizing experience any better, much less Soul Evans of all people. She imagines, though, for a brief, blinding instant, what he'd look like in a suit – oh no, Liz is looking at her and she doesn't like the glint in her eye. Maka clears her throat and fumbles at the threads of conversation. "That rich boy transfer student? No way."

"Yes way," Liz says, smugness creeping into her voice, "and if – "

" – you don't go I will be fuckin' _hurt." _

Soul rolls his eyes. "Would you quit it already, it's been like a week now. Th' fuck you even need me there for anyway, dumbass, you've finally got a date with the chick you've been talking about nonstop for like this entire semester."

"Uh, yeah, and I need my most loyal follower and favorite wingman there to bask in the combined force of our blinding hotness."

"Jesus, you're so _weird, _why do I even talk to you?"

"The words I speaketh are ambrosia on thine ears, my good bro. Hey, why don't you ask out Tsubaki's friend? That short flat-chested one with the pigtails, I forgot her name. That way you don't have to worry about third-wheeling us."

Soul chokes on his protein shake. Black Star pounds him vigorously on the back. "Breathe, brother. I know, I know. But take one for the team, yeah?"

"Fuck you," Soul gasps. "You're the worst."

"Shh. No tears, only dreams now."

"Maka Albarn," Soul begins, "is the nerdiest, most uptight – "

" – idiotic slacker in the entire school!" Her ears are steaming, she's sure of it. "I can't be _seen _with a guy like that, the act alone will drop my GPA by a full letter grade!"

"GPA-shmeePA," Liz says with a dismissive wave of her freshly-painted nails. "Listen, you won't flunk out of college or whatever just because you go party for one night. Besides, what if things go south with Blockhead and Tsu needs backup? Who'll look after our girl?"

"I know taekwondo, you know," Tsu says from on top of her bed.

"Not the point. C'mon, Maka!"

"A triangle has three sides," Tsu says. "Senior prom wouldn't be right without you. You don't even have to ask anyone if you don't want to."

_I do, though, _mumbles a little voice in the back of her head, and an image of Soul surfaces in her brain. She bites her lip. "Well…"

"Uh," says Soul.

In front of him, Maka puts a hand on her hip. _"Uhhh," _she mimics. "Are you just going to stare at me like an idiot all day or was there something you had to say?"

His stomach's doing backflips and it's making it very hard to concentrate. The bell just rang, they're huddled awkwardly against the wall just outside the classroom to avoid getting swept up in the crowd, and he realizes, belatedly, that he doesn't have to do this. He could just go by himself, and be the awkward third wheel, but. Ugh. This is stupid – why's he so nervous? (He knows exactly why.) He plays it off as lofty annoyance. "Do you," he begins.

"Do I."

"Do you. Wanna go to prom?"

Maka gapes. She was thinking he'd be asking to copy her calculus homework for the billionth time, or maybe help on a biology problem – they have entirely too many classes together and it's bullshit, it really is – but not _this. _She'd been agonizing on a dignified way to ask him for the past three days, and then this just drops into her lap –

"Hello in there," Soul says. "Wow, am I really that offensive? I'm hurt."

Her heart's beating too fast, ugh, God, she can't think – wait, _he _asked _her, _does this mean – could it be that –

"Yes," she blurts.

Disappointment skewers his stomach mid-somersault. "Well, that settles that, I guess."

Mortification consumes her as she realizes what she just said. "No!" she cries, too passionately. Soul turns around and quirks an eyebrow. Her ears are _flaming. _"I mean, yes! I mean, you're – palatable! I'll go to prom with you!"

"Oh. _Oh. _Hella. Rad. Guess I'll uh. See you then. You have my number already, right?"

"Y-yeah!"

_Fuck me, _Soul thinks as he escapes, hoping she didn't catch him blushing like a motherfucker, _hella rad – _

_\- _you're _palatable – _Maka wants to die –

_REALLY?!_

"Really?" Maka asks.

They made it intact to the dance floor. Some sappy country song is playing. The floor is packed with sweaty, inept teenage dancers; it reeks accordingly. He's wearing a rental and she's got on this knee-length purple number that really highlights her lack of any womanly curves whatsoever. Her hair's half-down half bizarre corkscrew pigtails. Liz and Tsubaki must have done her makeup, there's no way she could get it to look that polished on her own. She looks gawky. She looks ridiculous. There's something funny happening in his chest at the sight of her.

She feels the light, hesitant pressure of his hand in hers and on her hip like nothing she's ever felt. His palm's a little clammy. He's so tall. When did he get so tall? Her heart's beating a million miles an hour. She wants – she wants – she takes a deep breath. "Do you even know how to dance?"

"Nope."

"Ugh, figures."

"Hey, _you _were the one who wanted to get out here, not me. Don't you dare complain."

She steps on his toe and feels gratified at the little yelp of pain he gives. "Ugh, you're so…it's a freaking _dance, _dummy, not a sit-at-the-table-like-a-weirdo!" Her heart leaps into her throat as a terrible thought occurs to her. "If you didn't wanna come," she says, a shade quieter, "why'd you even ask me?"

Soul swallows. "I, uh. Star, he."

Oh no. Oh no, she's a world-class idiot. "Don't," she says thickly, beginning to pull away. "Ha ha, very funny, ask the _ugly _one out for shits and giggles – "

"No!" Soul's grip tightens. "It wasn't – I wouldn't – do you actually think I'd – "

_"Yes!" _she says, trying to escape in earnest now, and Soul flinches, stung. He doesn't let go, though.

"_Listen _to me, it wasn't a dare, okay, I – "

"Then _why!" _

"Because – it's uncool to go to prom without a date and – "

"Oh, so it's about your image, is it! God, _men, _you're all so – "

"Let me _finish!" _he growls, and tries to pull her back to him, but he pulls too hard and of course she fucking trips and suddenly it is taking all of Soul's considerable balancing skills, honed from years spent studying the ways of the skateboard, to keep them from eating shit like a couple of goddamn morons. They perform several very silly and energetic twirls instead, earning them some dirty looks from neighboring couples.

"Holy shit," says Black Star from their table, elbowing Tsubaki. "This is going way better than we thought."

"It's beautiful," she sighs, smiling a little.

_"Jesus," _Soul says. He's dipped her. This final move was necessary to prevent them from falling, and also to make everything look totally awesome and intentional. Their faces are very close together. She's got really, really pretty eyes, he notes, a little dazedly. "Because I _wanted _to," he blurts out.

Her throat bobs as she swallows. Her mouth is suddenly very dry. "You…what?"

"I mean, like, Star was like, ask Maka, because she's Tsu's friend and all and it would just make sense and I wouldn't go otherwise but I actually wanted to, also, I mean, ask you."

"Oh," she says. She's dizzy from all the spinning they just did and kinda breathless. This close she can smell his cologne. The lights are too dim to properly tell but – her heart stops – is that a _blush _on his face? Oh. _Oh._

Oh. She's looking at him with something very much like disgust, or shock, or something – fucking hell, he blew it, this is it, she really does hate him now. He straights back up. The song is still fucking playing. He knew this was a bad idea, the entire night, all of it – this dance is just the rotten cherry on the shit sundae of the entire liquid fart of his entire high school career. He swallows hard, and wonders how much more she'd hate him if he bolted right here and now –

Her brain has short-circuited, as it tends to do around this stupid, stupid boy. "Are you even going to college?" she blurts nonsensically.

He looks visibly startled. "What? No. No. Fuck the police," he mumbles.

One beat. Two. Then she busts out laughing. Okay, now he's definitely blushing, she can see it, it's confirmed. Silly, silly coolguys.

"Fuck you," he mumbles. "I hate you."

She's feeling very brave, or maybe very stupid. Maybe they're the same thing. She tightens her grip on his shoulder and steps in closer. "Do you?" she asks him. "Well I hate you more. I've always hated you."

"Oh, sick. Even when we were kids?"

"Especially then."

His eyes get a strange, blazing look. It makes butterflies explode in the pit of her stomach. He jerks her through a turn round the corner. "Well I've hated you since I first saw your stupid face," he growls. "Every time you smile I get so fuckin' pissed, I wanna just, just _kiss_ it right off you."

"Holy shit," Maka blurts, and now her whole face is probably the color of a fire engine, "son of a," and she goes for it, loops her arms round his neck and presses close like she's wanted to all night.

"You're awful," Soul rumbles, and hugs her tighter, "fucking terrible – "

"Uncouth, moronic – "

"Why don't we cut the crap," he says suddenly, "and blow this joint. Let's go to The Creek and stargaze, like we used to."

"_The _Creek?"

"Oh yeah. Bet our fort's still there and everything."

"Bet."

"You're on. Loser's gotta pay up with – " and she feels his breathing hitch " – a kiss."

She pulls away and looks at him. There are spots of color in his cheeks, and when he meets her eyes they deepen and he looks away. Ice cold, yeah right. She takes a deep breath. They have a lot of catching up to do.

"Deal," she says, and smiles.


End file.
